The most unexpected answer to a counting puzzle

An equally valuable form of support is to simply share some of the videos.

New to this channel? It's all about teaching math visually. Take a look and see if there's anything you'd like to learn.

NY Times blog post about this problem:

The original paper by Gregory Galperin:

Evidently, Numberphile also described this problem (I had not known):
You'll notice that video has an added factor of 16 throughout, which is not here. That's because they're only counting the collisions between blocks (well, balls in their case), and they're only counting to the point where the big block starts moving the other way.

Thanks to these viewers for their contributions to translations
Bengali: Prayas Sanyal
Hebrew: Omer Tuchfeld
Italian: @Deye27, @hi-anji

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If you want to check it out, I feel compelled to warn you that it's not the most well-documented tool, and it has many other quirks you might expect in a library someone wrote with only their own use in mind.

Music by Vincent Rubinetti.
Download the music on Bandcamp:

Stream the music on Spotify:

If you want to contribute translated subtitles or to help review those that have already been made by others and need approval, you can click the gear icon in the video and go to subtitles/cc, then "add subtitles/cc". I really appreciate those who do this, as it helps make the lessons accessible to more people.

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Various social media stuffs:

[antiscribe]

Pi has no business showing up literally everywhere in math.

[The-Rest-of-Us]

Highest quality Youtuber out there. And I mean that in every dimension.

[andrewdavis]

2:37 I was watching in the middle of the night and got absolutely flashbanged by the sudden swap from dark coloured example to bright white paper.

[hotpockets]

This is why I love math. You always look at a problem, read it out loud, then discover something about that problem. It's like there is always a hidden puzzle in math equations. For example, in 7th grade, we were learning about circumference. My teacher showed the class a video which said that if you take the diameter and try to wrap it around a circle, there's a tiny bit left, to which I realized that that tiny bit looked EXACTLY like pi, or 3.14. It's so cool finding small details that make so much since!

[Jouzou]

Physicists: "Noo! You can't have ideal collisions make a sound!"
3B1B: "Haha, blocks go brr"

[poopcatapult]

Teacher: "gimme some digits of pi"
Me: "clack clack clackclackclackcla... clackclack clack clack... Wait for it"
Teacher: "what on earth is that supp...?"
Me: "... clack"

[erinc]

the clacking sound is so satisfying i want it on repeat forever in my brain

[bmschech]

I thought your video on relating the Basel Problem to the circle was simply gorgeous, astonishing and unforgettable. These three surpass even that! Thank you so very much!

[ikkocan]

Originally discovered in 1995, published in 2003. maybe he DID count the clacks?

[Selicre]

That animation of the spherical cow actually made me wheeze. That was unexpected

[ItsNekotaku]

i love coming back to this video every once in a while because it's just so mind boggling that it reblows my mind every time

[iamsopro]

Doctor: it’s not gonna hurt!
The kid in the next room: 2:22

[ZzSlumberzZ]

*gets this on recommendations for the 10th time*
Brain: click on it.
Me: but I've already wa-
Brain: *do it.*

[witherphoenixlp]

Im not here for the math stuff. Im here for the colliding noise..

[X_wey]

Never have I ever thought that the small explanation bit with words sliding away at 3:59 from a math video would get me giggling like a kid at six in the morning

[rishujeetrai]

Pi is a creep. I'm gonna file a restraining order on him. He has started to show up on my integration problems now. He's gone too far.

[milk_WOO]

thank you for giving me a math project! this was very fun to work on and you explain this very well.

[PersonWithAFunnyBone]

3Blue1Brown never fails to make me question reality!

[myukunigunde]

Any maths/science/engineering problem: *exists*
Pi: aight imma head *in*

[Indomat]

Small brain: Memorizing digits of pi
Galaxy brain: Having blocks of precise mass on hand and counting the collisions